Love Me Dead
by Devabbi
Summary: My version of Riddick's life post-TCOR. One-Shot, R/K.


Short, a one-shot of how I think Riddick's life would be after TCOR... Didja hear they're making two sequels? Oh joy! :D I'm excited, but that's just cos I'm such a rabid fangirl... And because the Riddick stuff is still in progress, there's no way I could ever make my own full-length fanfic in sound mind... I just friggen love Vin Diesel, and I had this random idea... So here it is.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pitch Black, the Chronicles of Riddick, or any variations thereof, or any of the characters and things mentioned here. God, I wished I did, but I don't. Honestly, I wouldn't make enough to pay for my infringement anyways - so there's no use sueing me.

* * *

Looking back, he cringed at his actions. He killed hundreds of people – didn't even know the names of most of them, and that's only counting the murders he had done personally. Still, his biggest regrets were being unable to protect those who managed to get close to him. He was dangerous that way – don't feed the dogs, they'll bite your hand off in the process. They don't mean to. He doesn't mean to. It's just the way he is. Maybe the higher-ups just have a problem with him being happy. He's still not happy.

Casting a look over his shoulder at Kyra, or what was left of her, his eyes darkened behind unforgiving black goggles. His first order as Lord Marshal was for the Necromongers to find a way to bring her back, and they did. They brought her back to life, but she was broken somehow. He couldn't fix it, and neither could the Necromongers. No matter how many threats he threw at them, he knew there was just nothing they could do. Not for the first time, he found himself missing her. Even as she sat beside and slightly behind him, nestled against his shoulder and holding his infant son, he missed her. She was gentle now. She was quiet, submissive... hollow.

Excitedly, his daughter bounded up to him with a fistful of flowers. Jack loved flowers, people, animals, and life. He smiled at her and accepted the flowers, pulling her close with just one arm and kissing her hair. He let her go and she began to play with her baby brother over his shoulder. As he watched, he frowned. He knew it upset her every time he had to destroy a planet, but he couldn't give up the Necromonger throne. They'd kill him. They'd kill Kyra, Jack, and Damon, and then him, just to make him suffer more. What scrap of happiness in his life would be gone in an instant. They hated him, their Lord Marshal. Normally, he enjoyed pissing people off, but when they actually had bargaining chips against him, and there was no amount of bravado that he could possibly cheat with, he just tried to hold on.

Sometimes he even regretted having children with her. Sure, she held them, nursed them, babied their clumsy wounds, and sang them lullabies – but there was no warmth in her actions. They were mechanical and instinctive, but there was no love behind it. He tried to make up for it, but found it harder than he thought. He was an escaped convict, a murderer, and a Lord Marshal to an unwanted army of pilgrims who slaughtered anything in their path. Lord and Dame Vaako were jealous of him, and thought of him as weak every time Jack was in the room. She was his soft spot. There had been a new Purifier after the last had died, and he had made a careless remark against Jack. They were still cleaning his blood from the walls.

Slowly, he ran a hand over his bald head, and looked at Kyra. She met his gaze and gave him a hesitant smile. She knew her actions upset him, though she couldn't understand why. He leaned over and kissed her forehead softly before he got to his feet. Jack whined, but he just placed a hand on her head and told her, "I always come back." He smiled at his daughter and walked down the hill to carry out his duties as Lord Marshal.

It jolts him as, halfway down the hill, lost in his thoughts, he realizes that he wouldn't be too incredibly upset if she was killed. He stopped in his tracks and looked back at his family with a scowl on his face, scrutinizing before he turned away again.

Who was he kidding? She was already dead.


End file.
